Cucumber Raita – Kerala style | Cucumber Kichadi

This recipe reminds me why Indian cuisine is pretty damn amazing. Straight off the bat, I can give you 3 traditional Indian ways to make a cucumber raita…

–Kheere ka raita from the North with plain yogurt, tempering and a sprinkling of roasted cumin powder, chaat masala and red chili powder

–Khamang Kakdi from Maharashtra, which is more of a salad than a raita, but it has yogurt so I don’t mind putting it in the latter category

and this Vellarikka Kichadi from Kerala, which regularly features in the Onam Sadhya, where the cucumber is first cooked and then mixed with a spice paste of coconut, cumin, mustard, and then tossed in yogurt.

The cooking of the finely chopped cucumber, gives it quite a different flavour and a completely different texture. Top it up with the coconut and spice paste and you get a cucumber raita like one you’ve never tasted before (unless of course you are a Malayali and you’ve grown up eating this)

Even if you are not cooking a traditional Kerala meal, do make this Cucumber Kichadi instead of your regular cucumber raita with an Indian meal. I guarantee you’ll love it!

Other vegetables that can be used to prepare Kichadi : Carrot, Bitter gourd, Okra